A Lucky New Year
by hisorako
Summary: Thor has come back - to stay this time, as Earth's protector. He, Jane, Erik, and Darcy are celebrating on New Year's Eve in London. Darcy, however, can't help but feel a little left out. And, Loki can't help but want to be in. Tasertricks, Darcy/Loki, cameo Thor/Jane (Thane). Post-TDW. Oneshot.


_Heyyyy~! This is my first contribution to the _Thor _fandom, and I have to admit that I love Loki. Rachanja tried to convert me into a member of Loki's army even before I saw _Thor: The Dark World _with her. It's been a great adventure (I saw it again two weeks ago with Rachanja and our other friends), and I am absolutely waiting on the edge of my seat for Thor 3 and Loki's reappearance._

_Dedicated to Rachanja. Thank you for being the ultimate Loki lover of our little group._

_Dedicated to Hari. I'm sorry for treating you wrong, and I hope that you will give me another chance this year._

* * *

He looked into the small living space. Erik Selvig was passed out on the lounge, snoring rather contentedly. Such a shame. The scientist's antics while awake greatly amused him. His eyes swept over to the kitchen table, where Jane Foster sat with - his throat clenched - his false brother, Thor. Admittedly, he and the big oaf had improved their relationship quite a bit before his apparent death. However, he still felt an uncomfortable prick whenever he saw the blond prince.

He smiled. He was king now, thanks to his own cunning and Thor's growing soft. What fool would give up the throne for the bland and polluted Midgard? That was why it was now him, not Thor, who reigned as king of Asgard. He rolled the sound of it around on his tongue. He liked it.

Loki, king of Asgard.

* * *

Darcy stood on the metal staircase, watching her friends. On the couch, Erik rolled in his sleep. She sighed. He had never been the same since Loki mind-controlled him or whatever. More often than not, he would stay awake for days, researching whatever he thought would help Jane create the Rosen-whatever bridge. And, more often than not, he would rave pantsless - not a pretty sight.

Darcy flicked her gaze over to her best friend (and boss). Jane looked like she was having a great time. Not very often was she the life of the party, but she definitely was today, on the last day of the year. She was teaching her hot, blond boyfriend how to play some board game. And, if the expression on his face was any indicator, he wasn't getting it. (But maybe that had something to do with the alcohol he had downed with Erik earlier that evening.)

She came down the stairs and almost got past Jane and Thor without them noticing. But, as usual, Jane called out to her, "Hey, Darcy, a little help over here?"

Darcy smirked. "I think you've got it." She motioned to Jane's long fingers, intertwined with Thor's large ones. Opening the sliding door, she slipped out onto the balcony.

* * *

The sound of metal on metal caused him to flinch from his comfortable position looking out over the city. Loki's head snapped toward the dwelling. Out stepped a Midgardian girl, young and beautiful. Confident in his veiling ability, he stares at her. He tries to remember if she is important. She must be. Otherwise, she would not live with Thor and the scientists.

His mind drifted back to the desert place and the Destroyer. Perhaps ...

* * *

Darcy frowned at the sight of London. It was, as far as cities went, a beautiful city. From as high up as she was, she could see the stream of bright red doubledeckers and cars, packed tightly together. No, it wasn't the city that she hated. It wasn't even the whole country. It was the memories.

She remembered Erik going missing and Jane disappearing in the warehouse. They had no idea how freaked out she'd been. She had been _lost_ without them. She thought about how Jane had yelled at her for calling the cops. But, in truth, she had totally wanted to call them after the first hour. See, to her, Erik and Jane weren't just the bosses; they were almost family.

She remembered when she had to go check Erik out of the slammer. The second they'd stepped foot out of the place, everything started going seriously downhill. And she wasn't just talking about the freaky bird thingy.

She remembered running around in Greenwich, frantically handing Ian (she hated that name) poles that were supposed to do something with the convergence (even she kind of got what that was). Being phased into some random street with the guys with swords had seriously freaked her out. And totally turned her on to Ian (bad choice). Also, watching Jane and Thor almost get killed by the ship thingy didn't exactly help her mental state.

She sighed deeply. Maybe going back to the States - she smiled. She even talked like them now! - was a good idea. It'd at least get her away from all the freakiness for a while. Not that your best friend having a boyfriend from Norse mythology ever got _not _freaky.

* * *

Loki now knew who she was. He had glimpsed her while he was using the Destroyer and, more recently, when he had last visited Midgard. She was a friend of Thor and Jane Foster, Jane Foster's assistant. His eyes gravitated toward the door panels and he sighed. Look at the mighty Loki, King of Asgard, now. How far he'd fallen, spying on his former "brother" and his lover for amusement.

To his astonishment, the mortal on the balcony turned toward him.

"Don't pretend you can't see me." She looked directly into his eyes. "I have a taser, and I'm not afraid to use it."

Truly, he had no idea what a taser was - obviously a mortal weapon but its nature he could not discern. However he felt that whatever this mortal woman was armed with could not be very harmful to the ruler of Asgard.

He met her stare. "I am Loki of Asgard. Your threats are useless against me, mortal."

"Loki, Loki, Loki ... " Darcy repeated. Now where had she heard that name before? And Asgard...

"Thor!" She cried suddenly, "You're Thor's brother, the one that tried to take over the world and kill us with the giant robot thingy!"

He flinched and rolled his eyes. This was his legacy to the mortals? " Yes, I suppose that is how that simpleton would explain it."

Before he could say any more, she added, "And you're the one who messed with Erik's mind and made him go pantsless! Didn't you die or something?"

Loki scowled at the mortal girl. Though he was running out of patience, he would not risk revealing himself to her. "Who are you, mortal?"

"Darcy, intern and pol-sci student, also single, nice to meet you." She stepped closer and held out her hand, a smile on her face. "Aren't you going to shake?"

Inwardly, he sighed as he shook her hand. He hated these formalities, but this careless, albeit attractive, woman might prove herself a useful liaison to Jane Foster … and to Thor. A little harmless curiosity could not hurt. "Why are you not inside?"

"With the lovebirds making out and Erik drooling on the couch? Nah." She stretched. "Came out here for the fresh air. It's a pretty view, isn't it?"

Loki thought back to the last time he had observed them, weeks ago by the Midgardian calendar. Thor had returned not days ago and had settled in well. He, Jane Foster, Darcy, and the scientist had been seated around the small table (a far cry from the ones in the great banquet hall of Asgard), eating a meager supper (although with Thor, meals always seemed rather small). There had been another with them, a mortal man. He had seemed to share some intimacy with Darcy.

"Alone? Where is your lover?" His mouth formed an amused smile as he mocked her. He could feel his judgement and control slip, could feel himself falling back into old habits.

* * *

Her eyes flashed with anger, and she bit her lip. "He's not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up last week." She looked away, her vision blurry at the edges. "He didn't care about me. Not really."

"Who cares for you now, Darcy?" He swept toward her, his tone becoming more and more threatening. "All alone, without anyone watching over you. Jane and Thor are together, and they care not for you as you do for them. Selvig is a mad-man. Who is there for you, Darcy?"

She refused to look at him, even though she heard the swish of his cloak. He was trying to agitate her. She knew that. But, all the same, she couldn't help hurting. Norse mythology titled him the god of Lies and Mischief. But what he spoke now was truth. Her eyes watered and she watched the sky, trying hard not to cry.

It was awful. Not simply the truth, but how she had looked at him. Her heart had pounded, and not only from fear. She had felt something she had never felt before: a connection. But now, he stepped on her heart, breaking it into perfect little pieces.

"How could you see me?" his voice whispered in her ear. She could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, and she shuddered. "Look at me."

Almost unwillingly, she turned toward him. "I could see you because I was looking for magic. That's what my mother always told me. 'When you look for magic, you will find what you seek.' And I found you." She was in tears now, gasping, her voice trembling. "Happy now?"

* * *

His eyes met hers. Water trickled out of the corners of her eyes, and she seemed to be in throes of desperation. He should have smiled, should have loved the rush of being feared. The old him would have revelled in her desperation. But this time was different. He could not understand what had come over him, except that he wanted to wipe away her tears and stop her crying. Awkwardly, he put his arm around her shoulders and was surprised by how she only seemed to cry more. Loki looked away.

In the distance, the big clock tower struck twelve. Fireworks shot up into the sky. Darcy, looking up at him, put her hand on his cheek and put her lips on his. He tensed at the touch, relaxing as he kissed her back.

The clock struck for the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth times. More explosives accompanied each stroke, creating fire flowers and blue stars. But, separated in their own little world, Darcy and Loki remained together, blissfully unaware of time.

When Darcy pulled away, she flashed him a broad grin. "That's how we do it here on Earth."

"It is tradition to kiss on the eve of the new year?" he asked, amused.

"On the first moment of the new year!" Darcy exclaimed. "There used to be this thing about how the first person you see in the new year is a prediction of how the year'll go!"

"Then," Loki smiled, holding her hand, "this year shall be a very fortunate one indeed, Darcy."

* * *

_I had this stuck in my head on New Year's Eve but couldn't get out and write it until New Year's Day, and the editing and perfecting took a while. Review! Tell me, how did I do?_


End file.
